I'd point out that we had a whole lot of catching up to do after the Library at Alexandria was burned to the ground, and Rome became not much more than a memory.

I'd point out that practically the ONLY WAY a person could afford the time to sit around and really *think* about how the world works was to join the clergy.

I'd point out that it was practically the only way a smart, but poor, kid could get an education of any merit, and remind you that even middle class *nobles* frequently couldn't read at what is now considered a high-school level (if at all).

I'd point out that 3rd sons of minor/"poor" nobles were generally expected to join the clergy, b/c they had *literally* no other future (Eldest gets the inheritance, 2nd may become a Landlord, if the family holdings were large enough, but there was shit for the 3rd son other than priesthood or military service, in most cases).

I'd point out that European religious organizations spent an inordinate amount of time and effort making sure they got credit for everything under the sun (as did the more powerful nobles, for that matter), and remind you that much of the science that modern life is based on is rooted in the discoveries of Asian, Mediterranean, and North African cultures before their subsequent falls from influence.

And finally, I'd remind you that religious organizations, including the Christian Church, were responsible for *suppressing* any and all scientific inquiry they deemed to be harmful to their respective orthodoxies for thousands of years, allowing only the discoveries of that which they approved (or considered "spiritually insignificant") to be recorded in the first place, *because they were the ones writing everything down* (side note: the word "clerk" comes from the word "cleric", meaning "clergyman, or priest").

There's a reason the Renaissance & Enlightenment periods coincided w/ Gutenberg's printing press, and it ain't "b/c Religion", my friend...